IRTF News

On their small island of Isla El Espíritu Santo, residents live relatively isolated from the mainland and rely on income from coconut crops. That’s why it’s been dubbed "Coconut Island." Their peaceful existence was shaken, however, when President Nayib Bukele announced his State of Exception in March 2022. His government began to target the islanders through arbitrary arrests.

Over a period of one year, 25 islanders were arbitrarily arrested without proper warrants and accused of criminal activities, even though the island has not historically experienced gang violence.

***Attend the Summer Solidarity Social on August 9 in Cleveland, Ohio, with guest speaker Leslie Schuld from the CIS in El Salvador

See an info/take action flyer about the Free the Innocents campaign at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/sites/default/files/flyers/state_of_exception_-_free_the_innocents_of_isla_espiritu_santo_-_el_salvador_-_08.01.24_0.pdf

The article by Salvador Meléndez and María Teresa Hernández in the Associated Press on August 1, 2024, highlights the annual pilgrimage in El Salvador to honor Saint Oscar Romero, who was canonized in 2018. Thousands of pilgrims travel 160 kilometers from San Salvador to Ciudad Barrios, where Romero was born. Romero, beloved for his advocacy for the poor and working class and his opposition to military repression, was assassinated in 1980. The pilgrimage, which started in 2017, aims to unite his birthplace with his burial site. Participants, inspired by Romero's legacy, engage in prayer, cultural activities, and celebrations. This year's pilgrimage marks the 500th anniversary of Christianity's arrival in El Salvador and emphasizes the enduring influence of Romero, especially amidst the current government's harsh crackdown on gangs and human rights violations.

We fight for a better deal for farmers, workers and the environment through a unique pricing model, rigorous standards and a global support network committed to making ethical trade the norm.

We do not grow bananas in the United States (save the odd local varieties you may find in Hawaii or Puerto Rico). During the four weeks between when a banana is picked to when it is purchased, it travels thousands of miles to get to US grocery stores. So how do they still cost less than apples that are grown locally?

There is no such thing as a cheap product. Somewhere, someone in the supply chain is paying for it—whether that is us, the end consumer, or the farmer, who may be forced by the market into unfair and unsustainable deals. There is always a cost. In the case of bananas, the costs of conventional (non-fair trade certified and non-organic) banana farming are many:

• Poverty
• Underpayment
• Health & safety risks
• Soil depletion
• Water shortages

Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, also known as "El Tigre," the former chief of the Honduran National Police, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to protect cocaine shipments bound for the United States. Prosecutors described him as facilitating large-scale cocaine trafficking and using violence, including murder, to safeguard drug operations. Despite his defense's plea for a 10-year sentence citing occasional lawful actions and health concerns, the judge imposed a 19-year term in Manhattan federal court. Bonilla Valladares' conviction is part of broader scrutiny of corruption within Honduran institutions, implicating high-profile figures including former President Juan Orlando Hernández and his brother Tony Hernández.

The article by Jeff Abbott in The Progressive discusses the forced exile of Lilian Virginia Laparra Rivas, a former anti-corruption prosecutor in Guatemala, due to political persecution. Laparra Rivas, who worked with the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), joins several others who have been exiled since 2021. She was convicted twice—once in December 2022 and again in July 2024—for her anti-corruption work, with Amnesty International labeling her a prisoner of conscience.

The article highlights the broader context of political persecution in Guatemala, noting that other figures, such as journalist José Rubén Zamora, have also faced severe repression. Zamora, in pre-trial detention for over 700 days, has reportedly been subjected to torture and unsanitary conditions.

The current situation underscores the challenges faced by President Bernardo Arévalo, who has struggled to address the judicial branch's corruption, particularly under Attorney General María Consuelo Porras. Despite attempts to remove Porras and reform the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the administration has yet to succeed, and human rights in Guatemala remain at risk.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) submitted an application to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the case of Leonela Zelaya, a transgender woman from Honduras who faced extensive gender-based violence and discrimination. Zelaya, a sex worker, was brutally attacked by police in 2004 and later found dead under suspicious circumstances, with evidence suggesting she was a victim of transfemicide. The Honduran state failed to adequately investigate the crime or prevent violence against LGBTI individuals, violating multiple human rights treaties.

The IACHR found Honduras responsible for violating Zelaya's rights to life, personal integrity, dignity, and non-discrimination, among others. They recommended comprehensive reparations for these violations, including financial compensation, healthcare for affected parties, and improvements in law enforcement training and public awareness campaigns to prevent future violence. The case underscores broader issues of systemic discrimination and impunity faced by LGBTI individuals in Honduras, highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in the region.

The United States has long been a destination of migrants from around the world seeking safety and new opportunities. The image of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty welcoming “the poor huddled masses” is ingrained in our collective memory and culture.

Yes, there are many coming to our southern border seeking safety. Many of those come from countries whose people have been negatively impacted by US economic and military policies. They come here because we went there.

While the US was the world’s largest recipient of new asylum applications in 2023 (1.2 million), it is desperately trying to deter migrants from seeking refuge here. On June 4, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new plans to “secure our border.” It bars migrants from even asking for asylum. The unwelcoming attitude that the US presents toward migrants is illustrated not only by Biden’s recent asylum ban and the monthly increase in US migrant detention, now standing at 38,525.

In IRTF’s July 2024 Migrant Justice newsletter, please read about (1)   Asylum Processing at the US-Mexico Border, (2) ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends, (3)  Migrants in Colombia: Between Government Absence and Criminal Control, (4) At the Border: Recent Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border, (5) Honduras plans to build a 20,000-capacity ‘megaprison’ for gang members as part of a crackdown, (6) Thousands of displaced residents in southern Mexico fear returning to their homes after violence, (7) Danger in the Darién Gap: Human Rights Abuses and the Need for Humane Pathways to Safety, (8) America Turned Against Migrant Detention Before. We Can Do It Again, (9)  Asylum claims are down over 40% in Mexico, and (10) UN Refugee Agency Global Trends Report 2023.

Then take a few minutes to read what you can do to take action this week in solidarity with migrants and their families. (See details at the bottom of this newsletter.)

A) Act Now for welcoming, dignified and just immigration policies

B) Root Causes: Stop Deportation Flights to Haiti

C) Root Causes: Restore Asylum for LGBTQ+ Refugees in Danger

D) Think Globally. Act Locally: Help Migrants and Refugees in Cleveland

Read the full newsletter at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/blog/migrant-justice-newsletter-jul-2024

Garifuna Afro-Indigenous peoples on Honduras' northern Caribbean coast are facing severe threats and violence from private developers, drug traffickers, and state forces as they seek to reclaim their ancestral lands. Despite a 2015 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordering the Honduran government to return these lands, the state has not complied, and the situation has worsened. Since the early 17th century, the Garifuna have lived on this land, relying on subsistence agriculture and fishing. However, the expansion of palm oil plantations, tourism developments, and drug trafficking has threatened their way of life.

Human rights activist Rony Leonidas Castillo Güity recalls seeing changes in his community with the construction of a highway in the early '90s, leading to the influx of outsiders. Now, luxury developments, like the Indura Beach & Golf Resort, have been built on Garifuna land without their consent. Activist Miriam Miranda notes that these territories have been overtaken by African palm oil cultivation, contributing to the displacement of traditional farming and the loss of livelihoods.

The Garifuna communities continue to face criminalization, threats, and violence. More than 150 Garifuna people have been killed, and several leaders have been disappeared or murdered. The Honduran government and military have been accused of acting in favor of private interests, including protecting developers involved in questionable land transactions. Despite international rulings and protests, the Garifuna's struggle for their rights and lands persists, with activists like Miranda emphasizing their desire for peace and a future for their youth.

El Salvador’s state of emergency, declared in March 2022, has led to severe human rights violations against children of low-income communities. Many children have been doubly victimized by gang members who abused them and then by security forces who detained and mistreated them, with possible lifelong consequences. The government should end its abusive approach and prioritize a rights-respecting policy that dismantles criminal gangs, addresses child recruitment, and provides children with protection and opportunities.

In a 107-page report released on July 16, 2024, Human Rights Watch documents arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment against children under President Nayib Bukele’s “war on gangs.” Detained children have often faced overcrowding, lack of adequate food and health care, and have been denied access to their lawyers and family members. In some cases, children have been held, in the first days after arrest, alongside adults. Many have been convicted on overly broad charges and in unfair trials that deny due process.

Click here for a link to the full report.